


Better to Give

by ami_ven



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Community: mcsheplets, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-24
Updated: 2013-12-24
Packaged: 2018-01-05 20:53:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1098484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ami_ven/pseuds/ami_ven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rodney McKay was terrible at buying presents.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Better to Give

**Author's Note:**

> written for LJ community "mcsheplets" prompt #111 "present"

Rodney McKay was terrible at buying presents.

It was something he'd known since the very first time he'd been old enough to go shopping by himself. He'd ended up giving his mother a toaster for her birthday, and it had only gone downhill from there.

Figuring out what someone wanted just involved too many variables— he knew, because he'd tried to work up an algorithm to choose presents for him. And even when he guessed right (or, in Jeannie's case, she flat-out told him) something managed to go wrong anyway (like, in Jeannie's case, the sweater she was allergic to).

After a while, he simply gave the whole thing up. Grad students and lab assistants preferred bonuses, anyway, and he just put some money in his Christmas card to Jeannie when they were still talking.

So, it figured that the first time in several decades he actually cared enough to pick out presents, he had nowhere to buy them. The _Daedalus_ was down with engine problems and no other ship could be spared, which left last-minute Christmas shoppers (like Rodney) out of luck.

He planned to give Teyla the last of his chocolate ( _Canadian_ chocolate, not that awful American stuff), he'd finished every scrap of paperwork he owed Elizabeth (plus a couple of other projects he'd promised he'd do for her), found Carson an Ancient program to add to his Life Signs Detector (not as cool as a medical tricorder, but better than voodoo) and built Ronon a spare power clip for his blaster (which only held a charge half as long as the original, because Ronon wouldn't let him take it apart).

Which just left John.

Honestly, what did one get for the man who wanted nothing? For a moment, Rodney considered getting him exactly that— nothing. But, no, he had to get him _something_ John was the best friend he'd had in... well, ever. Still, with no resources and limited time, Rodney really only had one idea.

"Hey, Rodney," said John, when he answered his door late on Christmas Eve. "If you're not in bed like a good boy, Santa won't bring you any presents."

" 'Santa' is Radek and Miko," said Rodney, following him into the room. "And I have no idea why Elizabeth agreed to that."

"Let 'em have their fun," said John. "Now, what's up?"

"Oh." Rodney was suddenly nervous. "I, um, wanted to give you your present early, in case of... just in case."

John arched an eyebrow at him, but accepted the small plastic case. "A CD? I thought everyone's music was supposed to go on the public server."

"It did. But this isn't— I mean, it's not— I made this myself."

The colonel blinked at him. "So, it's like a mix tape?"

"What?" said Rodney. "No! What are we, fourteen-year-old girls? It's, um, I recorded it. Me playing."

John looked down at the CD, then back up at him. "You recorded yourself playing the piano? For me?" He grinned, an expression that lit up his whole face. "I think this is the nicest thing anyone's ever given me."

"But you haven't even listened to it," Rodney protested, baffled.

"Don't have to. And you wrote it, didn't you? Composed it?"

"Um, yeah," Rodney admitted.

John's grin broadened. "Cool."

They smiled at each other for a moment, then Rodney said reluctantly, "Well, I should probably—"

"Wanna stay up and wait for Santa with me?" John interrupted.

Rodney snorted. "You were one of those kids who camped out by the tree, weren't you?"

"Yep. You staying?"

"Of course. And...Merry Christmas, John."

"Merry Christmas, Rodney."

THE END


End file.
